Tynwald has yesterday voted in favour of the Department of Health and Social Care’s Order under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1976, to ban the ‘legal high’ alpha-Methyltryptamine, known as AMT. The ban will come into force from Tuesday 1 July 2014 for a period of one year.

The Order was put before Tynwald by the Minister for Health and Social Care, Howard Quayle MHK, following consultation with the Isle of Man’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), which was established under the 1976 Act.

Approval of the ‘Misuse of Drugs (Controlled Drug Specification) (AMT) Order 2014’ makes AMT a Class C drug under the Act.

The ban follows a recent case where the Isle of Man Coroner of Inquests gave a cause of death as toxicity of AMT.

Minister Quayle said: “AMT is not banned in the UK; any such ban in the UK would automatically come into force in the Isle of Man, however the ACMD recommended that it was time to act locally. It is the Department’s view that AMT is a substance which gives rise to a social problem in the Island and should be banned to reduce the potential for another death and to give a clear message that the use of AMT as a drug is dangerous.

“Legal highs continue to pose a problem due to their impact on personal health and wellbeing, and approving a ban helps to protect those most vulnerable in our community.”

The Order will be effective for an initial 12 month period, after which a further Order can be made, subject to Tynwald approval.